Hares 'N' Hounds 5K to return for twentieth year

Posted Feb 26, 2018

ATASCADERO — This Saturday, March 3 will mark the 20th running of the annual Hares ‘N’ Hounds 5K fun run and family festival. The race began as a fundraiser for the athletic department at Atascadero High School but has since evolved into a fundraiser for the entire community by allowing groups and programs to use the event to raise money for their causes.

Chris Shuck founded the event back in 1998 and have since raised more than $57,000 for the Atascadero Greyhound Foundation, helping to provide facilities and equipment for the high school such as the weight room and all-weather track.

The event takes place at the Atascadero Lake Park and features a 5K racing course, a one-mile racing course, and a half-mile racing course for all different ages. The race starts on the perimeter road adjacent to the Atascadero Lake Pavilion and goes counter-clockwise around the lake and up Portola Road before finishing with a final pass around the lake, this time clockwise, ending at the starting line.

As the race has grown over the years the City has noticed and has become concerned with road safety. This year there will be more signs posted on the streets and the perimeter roads will be closed to through traffic.

There will be some special “20th Annual” homemade awards for the first male and female in the 5K and the one-mile race, and there will be at least 20 prizes that will be raffled off at the event to celebrate 20 years.

Registration for all the races is now open at www.haresnhounds.org. Registration for the 5K costs $40 and the two shorter races cost $20.